After a couple public meetings and lots of discussion around the neighbourhood, the new off-leash area appeared early last month in a field belonging to the R.L. Clark water filtration facility, right next to Humber College and Colonel Sam Smith Park. I’ve been a supporter of an off-leash area. My experience in other off-leash areas such as Jack Darling, and South Etobicoke Creek and High Park have been very positive. I think the off-leash areas afford dog owners an opportunity to socialize their dogs in a designated area where they won’t bother people who don’t want to be around a group of dogs at play.

The new off-leash area is in a section of a long north-south field between the fenced off area along the road into Sam Smith and the thin line of trees that follows the field’s north-south axis. At the top of the field is the track for a school and at the bottom of the field is a huge muck-hole, which right now holds several inches of water. There are two paths worn across the field by commuters who take a short cut from the bus stop up the hill to Twenty-third street.

It turns out there are all kinds of issues with the off-leash area.

• The designated area crosses one of the commuter paths and borders the other. Some commuters have already told some of us local dog-owners they are not amused.
• There is no fence, and unfortunately my dog and her buddies aren’t so good at reading signs. There are two cute little gate-like pieces with little signs on them designating the area.
• There are existing lights on the west side of the line of trees (outside the off-leash area and not illuminating the off-leash area, as well as up on top of the hill near Twenty-third St., but there is no lighting in the off-leash area at all. This will not be so bad as days get longer but it makes it difficult to run a dog there after dark (plus hard to see dogs’ bathroom activities and pick up after them).
• The whole area is very low-lying. Over the past week, much of it has been puddled to the point of being almost under-water as the muck-hole to the south has spread north into the field.
• In the colder weather, the wind swirls down from the north and the area is very cold and windy.

Overall, my assessment is that the area will be marginally acceptable during the nice weather but I expect there will be growing conflict with people using the pathway to get from Twenty-third to the bus stop. Fencing will help, but commuters will have to go around and I’m sure they won’t like that. So far, I’ve noticed a few dog owners starting to use the area, particularly during the day on weekends.  For much of the time it has been open, though, it has been so muddy and wet down there, the area has been impossible.

There are a couple areas near the official area that have not turned into mud-holes. The field between the filtration plant building and the line of trees is much better, and further south the area along the hill, between the hill and the line of trees has been better (and lit too). Part of the area on the top of the hill has remained fairly solid (and well lit!) but part of it, nearer Twenty-third street, has puddled pretty bad.

On weekends, we continue to take Memphis to Jack Darling, which is a much superior area. It has fencing, parking, lighting, benches and lots of garbage cans. We don’t go to South Etobicoke Creek in the winter because there are, in my opinion, too many hazards for the dogs involving ice and the creek. As soon as the weather is nicer, I’ll be going back there as often as possible.

Meanwhile, we are having a municipal election this year, and when candidates for City Council come knocking on my door, I’ll be asking if they have any plans to enhance the leash-free area in our area by adjusting the location, mitigating the mud problem, fencing, and lighting the area. It’s good to have a leash-free area near-by but it would be fabulous to have a really good one.